Combination pressure-vacuum valve and thief hatch



April 24,l 1928. V 1,666,935

H. H. HOWELL v COMBINATION PRESSURE VACUUM VALVE AND TIEF HATCH FiledAug.. 9.. 1926 Mirow as 9 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE.

HARRY HAMMOND HOWELL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOW. H. ELLIOTT, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

COMBINATION PRESSURE-VACUUM VALVE AND THIIE]I HATCH.

Application nled August 9, 1926. Serial No. 128,247.

This invention aims to provide, in a single structure, a meanswhereby'access may be had to an oil tank for ga ing or thieving, meanswhereby pressure wit in the tank may be relieved and a means whereby apartial vacuum within the tank may be relieved, the practice havingbeen, heretofore, to rovide a thief hatch, a pressure release, an avacuum release, as separate articles.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices of that type to which the inventionappertains. l

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departingfrom the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevatlon, a device constructedin accordance with the invention' Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

The device includes a tubular base 1, which may be of frusto-conicalform, the base being equipped at its lower end with a flange 2 adaptedto receive securing elements 3 whereby the base is held on the top 4 ofa tank in which oil and like products are stored. At its upper end, thebase 1 has an inwardly extended and broadened rim or seat 5. The flange2 hasl an extended part 6, and an upstanding ear 7 is joinedv integrallyto the part 6, to the flange 2 and to the tubular base 11, the ear 7having a vertically elongated s ot 8.

The device includes a cover which is marked by the numeral 9. The cover9 includes an outer bod '10 of tubular form, a -tube 11 located withinthe body 10 and a base 12 joining the lower end of the tube 11 with thecorresponding part of the body 10, to

form an annular chamber 14 in which may be placed a weight 15, theweight being made surface with an annular seat 17, the walls of whichconverge downwardly as at 18 to cooperate with annular gaskets 19 and20, made of a suitable composition, a retaining ring 21 being locatedbetween the gaskets 19 and 20, and being beveled upon its edges tocooperate with the gaskets 19 and 20, the gaskets being wedge-shaped incross section, securing elements 22 connectin the ring or retainer 21 tothe bottom 12 o the cover 9, a simple but effective means beingprovided, thus, for holding the gaskets 19 and 20 in place, securely butremovably. The outer gasket 19 enga es the rim 5 of the base 1 andaffords an ermetic closurej at the point indicated. The body of theycover 9 has a laterally projecting lug 23 provided with a recess 24wherein 1s received the ear 7 of the base l. The lug 23 carries a pivotelement 25 received in the slot 8 of the ear 7. The cover 9, thus, isconnected to the base 1,

not only for hinged or swinging movement,

but for vertical right-line movement, a's well. The pivot element 25 isequipped at one end with a head 26 engaging one side of the lug 23. Inthe opposite end of the pivot element 25 there is a slot 27 across whichextends a pin 28 on which is mounted the reduced U-shaped end 29 of aspring key including converging arms 30 which bear against one side ofthe lug 23 to hold the j pivot element 25 in place.

The body 10 of the cover 9 is equip ed at its upper end with an inwardlyexten ed annular 'lip 31 provided with upstanding bosses 32. Radial webs33 project inwardy from the tube 11 and supportatubular gui e34,disposed within the tube 11, the guide- 34 being supplied in itsupper end with a` chamber 35 and being equipped in its lower end with areduced bore 36. vA lid 37 rests on the bosses 32 and is s aced therebyfrom upper end ofthe tube 11, the lid being held on the bosses bysecuring elements 38. The lid 37 has a down-turned marginal rim 39.

A valve 40, in the form of a disk, bears against the gasket 20, thevalve embodying a stem 41 slidable in the bore 36 of the guide 34. Anabutment collar 42 is threaded on the upper end of the stem 4l and isreceived v slidably in the chamber 35 of the guide 34. A compressionspring 43 is located in the chamber 35, about part of. the stem 41, oneend of the spring engaging the'abutment collar 42, and the other end otthe spring engaging the guide 34 at the lower end of the chamber 35. Thefunction ont the spring 43 is to seat the valve 40 against the gasket20. A valve opening means is provided, the same being in the form of aplunger 44 mounted to slide in the lid 37, the plunger being equipped atits lower end with a ltoot 45 bearing on the upper end of the valve stem41,

theA plunger being supplied at its outer end with a button 46.

They cover 9 may be swung to open position on the' pivot element 25, topermit thieving through the tubular base 1. r1`he operator can pressdown the stem 41 and open the Valve 40, by means of the plunger 44,thereby to ease od. the pressure in the tank before thieving. rlFheresult is that when the cover 9 is swungto an open position, theoperator is not spattered by a pudfof greasy vapor. Here note that whenthe valve 40 is opened, as and for the purpose specified, the apron 16directs the gas and grease down Wardly, and does not permit is to blowside wise upon the garments otthe operator.

1n the event that pressure builds up too high in the tank, the cover 9can open, either pivot-ally, or by vertical right-line movement, becausethe part 25 is received inthe vertically elongated slot 8. 'llhepressure at which the cover 9 opens, responsive to ressure within thetank, may be governed by pouring more or less molten lead into thechamber 14, to form the weight 15.

When a partial vacuum is created within the tank, atmospheric pressureis restored in the tank, because the valve 40 will open downwardly, thespring 43 being compressed.I The edort of the spring 43, as a closinmeans for the valve 40, can be regulate by shifting the abutment collar42 along the valve stem 41. l

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the device forming thesubject matter of this application comprises, in one structure, a thiefhatch, a vacuum release valve, and a pressure release valve.

The gaskets 19 and 20 are made of yieldable material, and, consequently,there is a tight closure at all times between the asketl 19 and the rim5, and between the gas et 20 and the valve 40: something which is notattained when a metal-to-metal contact is provided, a metal-to-metalconstruction being subject to temperature changes, expan.

19 and 20 may be renewed. Generally stated,

the device forming the subject matter of this application, althoughembodying three oil tank attachments in one, costs but little more thanone of those attachments, when the three of them are sold separately.

As shown at 100, the wall of the seat 17 slants away from one surface ofthe gaskets 19 andf20`, and the edges of rin y21 slant .away from theinner surfaces oft e gaskets 19 and 20. rlhis construction aii'ordsaspace on each side of the gasket 19 and on each side of the gasket 20,to com ensate for the swelling of the gaskets 19 an 2O when they becomesaturated with oil.

What is` claimed is 1. In an attachment for oil tanks, a tubular base, asubstantially horizontal, weighted cover cooperating with the base toclose it, means for connecting the cover to the base for swingingmovement into a :tully openposition at the control of an operator, andfor substantially vertical right-line sliding movement to and tromclosed position with' res ect to the base responsive to pressure wit ina tank, an inwardly opening vacuum release valve carried by the cover,and means for holding the valve yieldably in closed position.

2. lln an attachment for' oil tanks, a tu= bular base, a covercooperating with the base to close it, means for connecting the covermovably to the base, a vacuum release valve carried by the cover, springmeans tog closing the valve, and compressible gaskets carried by thecover, one gasket engaging the valve, and the other gasket engaging thee base.

3. lln an attachment for oil tanks, a tubular base, a cover hinged tothe base, an inwardly opening` vacuum release valve mounted on thecover, gaskets cooperating with the base and with the valve, the coverhaving a recess wherein the gaskets are renoA ceived, an annular 4memberin the. recess,

and holding the gaskets therein,v and securing` devices connecting theannular member with the cover. e.

4. In an attachment for tanks of the class described, a base; a coverincluding an outer body, a tube within the body and a bottom joining thetube with the body to form an annular weight-receiving chamber; a lid,

means for mounting the lid on the cover in.

spaced relation to the upper end ot the body and of the tube to aord agas outlet of which the tube forms part, an inwardly opening valvecooperating with the base, spring-operated mechanism within' the tubeand beneath the lid for holdin the valve a fully open osition at thewill of an opyieldably closed to preventA ow of gas erator and orright-line movement to a. 10 through the tube,{a member mountedmov-"parti y open position responsive to gas ably in the lid andaccessible from the outpressure Within the base and upon the valve.

5 side of the lid for engaging said mechanism In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as to open the valve rat the will of an operator, myown,'I have hereto affixed my signature.

and a combined means for mogntmg the cover on the body for swingingmovement to HARRY HAMMOND HOWELL.

